Moldova: Use of the term "Roma" or its equivalent on birth certificates during the 1970s (follow-up to MDA39929.E of 29 October 2002)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 19 December 2002 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | MDA40699.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Moldova: Use of the term "Roma" or its equivalent on birth certificates during the 1970s (follow-up to MDA39929.E of 29 October 2002), 19 December 2002, MDA40699.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4dca7.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Further to MDA39929.E of 29 October 2002, the information that follows was provided by a representative of the Moldovan Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, upon referral of this request by the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) in Budapest.
According to Moldovan legislation, the birth certificate indicates the nationality of parents. The nationality of the parent could be identified from the passport. In 1970 parents may have had concerns over the future opportunities of a child whose ethnic origin was clearly Roma; thus there was a tendency in that period to change the nationality of the child in his or her birth certificate, to Moldovan or Russian, to avoid future discrimination. However, generally speaking, if the passport of the parents indicated Roma as their nationality, the birth certificate of their child would also state Roma (15 Nov. 2002).
In a fact-finding visit made by the Moldovan Helsinki Committee to a Roma community named Schinoasa, it was noticed that there still is a tendency to hide a person's Roma or Gypsy ethnicity to avoid discrimination (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Moldovan Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, Chisinau, Moldova. 15 November 2002. Correspondence received by Research Directorate.
